CENTRAL OHIO ISSUE 2 SPRING 2019

Page created by Alan Collins
 
CONTINUE READING
ISSUE 2
                                     SPRING 2019
                                                                      TING
                                                         C E L E B R A RT O O N S
                                                      E C O M  ICS, CA OF
                                                   TH            R EATORS
                                                       A N D  C
                                                                      L OHIO
                                                          CENTRA
COVER ILLUSTRATION BY TOM WILLIAMS
WELCOME TO THE SCRIBBLER
  Hello and welcome to the second        community within these pages. We’ve
(exciting) issue of the Columbus         also included some new exhibits at
Scribbler! We were overwhelmed by        our city’s very own comics museum,
the positive response our first issue    The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library &
received and we’re happy to be able      Museum. So, what are you waiting
to continue to bring the wonderful       for? Go out there and meet some
artform of comics to the people of       cartoonists! Let them tell you their
Central Ohio.                            stories and make some new friends.
  As the city of Columbus’ cartoon         With that said, we’d like to
community continues to flourish,         welcome you to this incredible
we are proud to be a part of its         medium that’s close to our hearts and
growth and be able to showcase the       challenge you find your place within                        COLUMBUSSCRIBBLER.COM
amazing creative talent that this city   comics. There’s room for everyone,
has to offer. For those of you who       whether it involves making your own
have yet to discover, your city is       stories or just reading and taking
home to a plethora of cartoonists and    them in. Remember you don’t have             Cover Illustration by Tom Williams
comic makers.                            to be an amazing artist to make or                       drawrobotdesigns.com
  Our goal here at the Scribbler is      enjoy comics, you just have to love
to inspire you, the people of Central    comics. Everything begins with a
Ohio, to come together around your       scribble, so start scribbling.
community of cartoonists with all
the support and involvement you
                                           Welcome to Columbus’ newest best
                                         kept secret.                                                    CONTENTS
can muster. Which is why, along
                                                                                 PAGE 1                                    SCOOPS McKINSEY by Brian Canini
with tutorials, reviews, and local
comics, you’ll find out about all of                                             PAGE 2                                    TEN QUESTIONS WITH BOB CORBY
the upcoming events in our comics
                                                                                 PAGE 3                                           CHASING INK by J.M. Hunter

          CONTRIBUTORS
                                                                                 PAGE 4                     HOW TO WRITE A COMIC SCRIPT by Jack Wallace

                                                                                 PAGE 5                          FORENSIC ENTOMOLOGY by Greg Baldridge

                                                                                 PAGE 6                             TABBY TENBUCK GOES TO THE GARNOLD
                                                                                                                                     by Michael Fehskens

                                                                                 PAGE 7                 BOOGYMEN: A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ANTI-COMICS
                                                                                                         MOVEMENT AND THE BIRTH OF THE COMICS CODE
                                                                                                                                       by Brian Canini

                                                                                 PAGE 8 & 9                                 MEET THE PEOPLE OF COLUMBUS
                                                                                                               By Jack Wallace, Brent Bowman, and Chris Allen

                                                                                 PAGE 10                                           MAIL CALL by Michael Neno

                                                                                 PAGE 11                            UPCOMING EVENTS AT THE BILLY IRELAND
                                                                                                                            CARTOON LIBRARY & MUSEUM
       GREG BALDRIDGE                         BRENT BOWMAN
       teechcartoon.tumblr.com                     facebook.com/                 PAGE 12                       SPOTLIGHT ON ALL-AGES CREATOR: LEE SMITH
                                              The-Art-of-Brent-Bowman                                                           KID’S KORNER by Stella N.

                                                                                 PAGE 13                                          BUS STOP NED LIKES PORK
                                                                                                                           by Ken Eppstein and Gabby Metzler

                                                                                 PAGE 14                               COMIC REVIEWS by Derek Baxter
                                                                                               EVERYONE LAUGHS AT THE CROCODILE MAN by Steve Steiner

                                                                                 PAGE 11                                       TEN QUESTIONS (CONTINUED)

                                                                                 PAGE 12                                                        COMIC STRIPS
                                                                                                               by Brain Canini, Derek Baxter, and Steve Steiner
                                                                                                                                         UPCOMING EVENTS
         KEN EPPSTEIN                        MICHAEL FEHSKENS
                                                                                 INSIDE BACK COVER               HOW TO IDENTIFY A NON-NATIVE OHIOAN
            nixcomics.com                       michaelfehskens.com
                                                                                                                              & DECLINED by Canada Keck
                                                                                                               THE MINDS BEHIND THE COLUMBUS SCRIBBLER
                                                                                                                 THANK YOU TO OUR KICKSTARTER BACKERS

                                                                                 BACK COVER                   THE NORMAL SCHOOL FOR NORMAL CHILDREN
                                                                                                                                       by Steve Steiner

                                                                                           THANK YOU TO OUR ADVERTISERS!
                                                                                             Big Fun • Kafe Kerouac • The Laughing Ogre
          J.M. HUNTER                           CANADA KECK                                 MoMark • HooHa Comics • Mullet Turtle Comics
          theartofhunter.com               facebook.com/rumineracomics                            Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo
                                                                                 Interested in supporting local comics? Then advertise in the Columbus Scribbler!
                                                                                 E-mail cbusscribbler@gmail.com to get more information about rates and sizes.

                                                                                          ARE YOU A COMIC CREATOR LIVING
                                                                                            IN THE CENTRAL OHIO AREA?
                                                                                                We’d love to see your work! Check out our
        GABBY METZLER                          MICHAEL NENO                                   Submission Guidelines at columbusscribbler.com
           gabbymetz.com                           nenoworld.com
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10 QUESTIONS WITH
BOB CORBY
  Bob Corby has been publishing fine small press comics under the
company name Back Porch Comics since 1986. In 1988, he started OH,
Comics, an anthology supporting the work of comic creators throughout
the Midwest. In 2000, Bob started the Small Press and Alternative
Comics Expo or S.P.A.C.E. which will be holding its 20th show this year
at the Northland Performing Arts Center on April 27th and 28th.
Admission is free and will be attended by comic creators
throughout the country.

  1. Who were some of your artistic                 In later years, the biggest problem were
inspirations growing up?                          venues. We’ve had venues close down two
                                                  months before a show, re-route our traffic,
  Jack Kirby, of course. And definitely Charles   give us tables that were the wrong size or
Schultz. I went through an Andy Warhol            dirty. We are lucky to have been working
phase during high school after we visited         with the Northland Performing Arts Center
the Guggenheim Museum with my summer              for the last five years and they have been
school art class. I also enjoyed all of the       great.
Impressionists. Still love slapping paint on
a canvas. On the literary front, I loved Kurt       5. How has independent
Vonnegut.                                         publishing changed since you
                                                  started publishing your own books?
 2. Why did you start the Small Press
and Alternative Comics Expo?                        I started as a mini-comics guy back
                                                  in the late 80’s. I’m told I belong to the
   Somebody had to. Our hometown comic            “New Wave” era. At that time, most of the
convention was becoming less and less comic       distribution was through the mail. There
friendly. Small Press comics were getting         were a handful of review zines that would
harder and harder to sell there. We had a         review your books which often ended in
Spirit of Independents show here in ’95 which     trades with other creators.
went pretty well, but just disappeared. That        Putting together a comic back then involved
was the inspiration to start S.P.A.C.E.           a lot of photo copies, exacto-knives, white
                                                  out and rubber cement. Copy machines
  3. How does S.P.A.C.E. differ from              only had certain reduction rates. Gray-
other comic conventions and are there             scale was an expensive proposition. Forget
other conventions that you feel share             color. Today most of that stuff is done by
its independent spirit?                           computer. Including distribution through a
                                                  print-on-demand printer. Now, I can produce
  S.P.A.C.E. is different from regular comic      a minicomic overnight from a jam with other
conventions or pop culture cons because it is     creators and have it printed the next day.
focused on the creators. Everybody exhibiting
is a creator or publisher and they are only        6. OH, Comics! is an anthology
selling their own work.                           you’ve been publishing for years. Can
  There are plenty of other small press shows     you tell us more about it and what it
across the country, such as SPX in Bethesda       means to you?
MD, MOCCA in NYC, Staple! in Austin
TX, CAKE in Chicago IL. Back in Ohio,               I always loved comic anthologies. I still
there’s Genghis Con in Cleveland, Yo-ICE          buy them whenever I see a new one. It’s a
in Youngstown and, of course, Columbus’           chance to buy one book and get a variety of
own CXC (Cartoon Crossroads Columbus).            work from different people in one spot. You
Although, APE in California and PIX in            also get some different stuff that might be too
Pittsburgh were absent in 2018.                   risky to be in a book by itself. Oh,Comics!
                                                  has been a labor of love since 1988. At one
  4. What were some of the biggest                point, it was the longest continuously running    TOP: Cover to Corby’s OH,COMICS! #1 from 1988.
obstacles you’ve had to overcome in               comics anthology, but has since missed a          Besides Corby, it featured a plethora of other Ohio
the 20 years you’ve been doing                    few years. It started as a minicomic and is       cartoonists including Ian Shires, Allen Freeman,
S.P.A.C.E.?                                       now a trade paperback. It’s a reason to get       Aaron S. Tracy, Bruce Chrislip, and Bob Vojtko.
                                                  something done, sets a schedule for people,
  At first, it was just trying to get people to   and publishes work from people who don’t
                                                                                                    BOTTOM: Cover to Corby’s OH,COMICS! #25
understand what I was trying to do. Back in       self-publish. At this point it’s a tradition.
                                                                                                    from 2017 featuring work from such creators as
2000, I got a lot of blank stares when I tried                                                      Kel Crum, Pam Bliss, Sue Olcott, Dale Martin, Canada
to explain what it was about. There were only                                                       Keck, John C. Bruening, and Michael C. Carroll.
two shows like it at the time, SPX and APE.
                                                                           CONTINUED ON PAGE 15
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Kafe Kerouac
              Coffee House and Bar
     A PLACE THAT LOVES ART
        IN ALL ITS FORMS.
   A selection of books, records, and comics are available for sale.
Check out our full selection at: amazon.com/shops/kafekerouacbooks
   We make it a point to stock local writers and comic book artists, along with hard to find small press items!

2250 N. High St. • Columbus, Oh                                                                    HOURS
        (614) 299-2672                                                                      Mon-Fri: 8am-1am
                                                                                             Sat: 10am-1am
              kafekerouac.com                                                               Sun: noon-12am
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     HOW TO WRITE A COMIC SCRIPT
 By Jack Wallace                                                                  Ninja Pirate is an orphan in the beginning.
                                                                                    A character bible is also helpful. The character bible is a list of

C
       omics are often a collaborative effort with a team of people. You          characteristics for each individual in your story. This may sound
       don’t have to look far to find disagreements over the importance of        burdensome, but consider having fourteen characters all named Garth,
       each role for a book, and writers are no different. However, writers       the character bible will help you identify why Garth Mangrove is a
including the late Stan Lee, Alan Moore, Mark Millar, and Neil Gaiman             vegetarian and Garth Orsnike is afraid of snakes. Perhaps a look at baby
have proved that strong storytelling is a vital piece of the puzzle.              names from the country your characters are from will help you
  Should you want to try your hand at writing a script, you will need             vary the names.
an idea. Break out that old idea where the hero is both a ninja AND a               It’s time to get to the script. The panel description is the basic direction
pirate. Let’s call it Ninja Pirate: Kung Fu on the High Seas. Before you          for the artist and not meant for the audience. Like a director, you must
start attacking the script, there’s a couple things that will help guide you      tell the artist where you want the camera. Like anything else, there is a
as you work.                                                                      limited amount of jargon including close up (usually meant to capture a
  An outline will help keep you on track. It’s a bullet pointed list that         facial expression), medium shot (shot from the chest up), birds eye view
breaks down the plot points of your tale. This helps to identify large            (shot from overhead), worm’s eye view (from ground-up, usually used
sections like chapters in a book. An outline will arrange your hero’s             to make things look bigger), and an establishing shot (used to establish
                                             journey and help you know            place. Think “restaurant” from Seinfeld).
                                                 where your character
                                                 ends up at the end of each        Here’s an example:
                                                chapter. You know that Ninja
                                               Pirate is going to fight Cowboy     PAGE 1
                                              Robot at the end, but what are
                                             the lessons he/she will learn.        Panel 1 - Medium shot - Pirate ninja is wearing a pirate hat and eye
                                              What friends will they make         patch, but also a karate gee. He is crouching behind a wall while guards
                                               along the way and when do          approach.
                                                 you introduce them? If Ninja
                                                  Pirate turns out to be the       PIRATE NINJA: ARGH. My peg leg sure makes being stealthy difficult.
                                                   son of Cowboy Robot, the
                                                    outline will help you know      Here are a few tips. Increasing the number of panels will speed up
                                                      to tell the audience that   the pace of a story. In contrast, a splash page is a one page illustration
                                                                                  meant to stop time typically used during a big reveal. You must maintain
                                                                                  consistency. If your character is handed a sword by his sidekick, the
                                                                                  sidekick must be in the room in the previous panel.
                                                                                    If you are interested in learning more, might I recommend Scott
                                                                                  McCloud’s Understanding Comics or Alan Moore’s Writing for Comics
                                                                                  Volume 1. When you win the Eisner award for Best New Series for Ninja
                                                                                  Pirate, remember to give the Columbus Scribbler a shout out!
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I
   n the quiet neighborhoods of Binghamton, New                                                                              Seduction of the Innocent by Fredric Wertham was
   York, masses gather behind St. Patrick’s Parochial                                                                     published in Spring of 1954 and, among its reprintings
   School around a roaring fire as parents and their                                                                      of single panels pulled out of context from various
children toss armfuls of comic books into the blaze          the editorial. And a wave of editorials denouncing           comic books and sensationalists chapter titles like “The
amongst onlookers who watch with glee. It’s December         comic books filled papers nationwide linking comic           Devil’s Allies” and “I Want to Be a Sex Maniac!”, the
10, 1948, three years after World War II and comics          books to everything from straining eyes and nervous          book went on to conclude that Superman was a fascist,
are under attack. The rally in Binghamton would              systems to lowering IQ.                                      Wonder Woman was a lesbian, Batman and Robin
spark similar fires around the country as crusaders             Perhaps a most significant aspect of North’s criticism,   were gay lovers and that comics were the cause of
for children’s morality waged war against America’s          was his identification of comic books as a form of           juvenile delinquency.
newest medium.                                               juvenile literature. By categorizing comic books this           The success of Seduction of the Innocent and
   By the end of World War II comic books had become         way, North and other critics helped shape the public         Wertham’s credentials would lead him to appear
a huge presence in American pop culture. Soldiers            perception that comic books were strictly for children.      before the Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile
read comics, housewives read comics, and children of         This would enable legitimacy when future critics like        Delinquency, led by anti-crime crusader Estes Kefauver,
all ages read them as well. In 1946, Publishers Weekly       John Mason Brown made the hyperbolic statements on           in the comic book hearings of 1954 held in New York.
reported an estimated 540 million comic books were           a 1948 radio broadcast that comic books were “the            It was here that Wertham would testify “I think Hitler
printed that year. A few years later that figure had         marijuana of the nursery” and “a threat to the future.”      was a beginner compared to the comic book industry.”
nearly doubled. Comic books were, without a doubt,              The National Office of Decent Literature (NODL) was          All the negative press garnered by Seduction of the
big business, but this all encompassing presence had         established in 1938, shortly after the Legion of Decency     Innocent and the Senate hearings would eventually
its downsides.                                               pressured the film industry into enforcing a rating          pressure the comic book publishers to institute the self-
   By 1948, scapegoating comics had become                   system. The NODL’s concerns were with “morality” and         censoring organization known as The Comics Code
something of a national pastime for America. As early        comic books’ presence within American pop culture.           Authority. Putting bans on what could be shown, said
as 1906, protests about early comic strips had sprung        Nationwide community decency campaigns would take            and/or discussed within the pages of comic books.
up across the country. These crusades, however, ended        to the streets in teams armed with lists of objectionable    Assuring that comics would be just for kids for the
abruptly in 1911 as the United States entered World          comics and visit local newsstands, urging dealers to         foreseeable future. As for the crusaders and critics
War I.                                                       remove the “bad” comics.                                     concerned for the welfare of children, they moved on
   Then in 1937, comic strips shifted focus from                A major factor in the success of these campaigns          to the next juggernauts to take a hold of American
humor to action/adventure and the crusades began             against comic books was the linkage of comic book            pop culture; television, Rock and Roll, and, eventually,
again. One study published in 1937 on comic strips           reading to juvenile delinquency. And never was this          video games. Leaving the fires to burn out and comics
appearing in Boston papers argued that children and          link more burned into the American consciousness than        to slowly outgrow and move beyond the Code that had
adults who read comic strips regularly run the risk of       when a psychiatrist named Fredric Wertham began his          been forced upon them.
lowering their artistic appreciation. As the decade          critique of comic books. This critique would start with
came to a close, criticism shifted from comic strips to      articles move to a book and continue onward all the          References:
focus on the newest of mass mediums, comic books.            way to a U.S. Congressional inquiry.                         • Fredric Wertham and the critique of mass culture by Bart Beaty
   The first attack came from Sterling North, a literary        In 1946, Wertham helped open the Lafargue Clinic          • Seal of approval : the history of the comics code by Amy Kiste
critic for the Chicago Daily News, in an editorial           in the basement of St. Philip’s Church in Harlem,                 Nyberg
on May 8, 1940 headlined “A National Disgrace.”              New York. It was here that Wertham, along with his           • Comic book nation : the transformation of youth culture in America
Among other things in the editorial, North wrote that        associates, first began a systematic study of the effects         by Bradford W. Wright
“The antidote to ‘comic’ magazine poison can be              of comic books on children. The flaw in his study was        • Pulp demons : international dimensions of the postwar anti-comics
found in any library or good bookstore. The parent           that the subjects were all patients from his clinic. This         campaign, edited by John A. Lent
who does not acquire that antidote for his child is guilty   eventually caused him to conclude that all juvenile          • History of Comics Censorship, The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
of criminal negligence.”                                     delinquents read comic books ergo, comic books were          • Seduction of the Innocent by Fredric Wertham
   More than 40 newspapers and magazines reprinted           the cause of juvenile delinquency.                           • The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum

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UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS AT
THE BILLY IRELAND CARTOON
LIBRARY & MUSEUM
DRAWING BLOOD: COMICS AND MEDICINE
April 20, 2019 - October 20, 2019

Drawing Blood traces the histor y of comics’ obsession with medicine from
the 18th centur y to today. The earliest cartoonists frequently satirized a
medical practice dominated by bloodletting, purging, and other largely
ineffective treatments. Over the next two centuries, modern medicine
would go through remarkable transformations. Comics have been there
ever y step of the way to celebrate its triumphs, ser ve as a tool in medical
education, and call attention to new challenges that have emerged.
Curated by Professor Jared Gardner, OSU Department of English

FRONT LINE: EDITORIAL CARTOONISTS
AND THE FIRST AMENDMENT
April 20, 2019 - October 20, 2019

What do current debates about social media, trigger warnings, fake
news, and libel have to do with the First Amendment and editorial
cartoonists? Editorial cartoonists both benefit from and defend First
Amendment speech and press protections. This exhibition examines free
speech through historical works from the Billy Ireland Cartoon Librar y &
                                            Museum’s collections as well
                                            as contemporar y works by
                                            members of the Association
                                            of American Editorial
                                            Cartoonists.
                                               Ann Telnaes, Pulitzer-Prize winning
                                               political cartoonist, and Lucy
                                               Shelton Caswell, Professor Emerita
                                               and Founding Curator of the Billy
                                               Ireland Cartoon Librar y & Museum,
                                               co-curated this exhibition.

Pillars by Jimmy Margulies. August 16, 2018                                          Rx by Rachel Lindsay. 2018

    Humorous comics and zines (that feature neither
      turtles nor mullets) like these great titles!

AVAILABLE AT MULLETTURTLE.COM
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SPOTLIGHT ON AN ALL-AGES CREATOR

                                LEE SMITH
  Lee Smith’s work is not only entertaining, but also educational. As a
teacher, he knew comics would be a great vehicle to help his students get
excited about Ohio history. After Lee was unable to find anything being
currently produced, he decided to create his own series called Ohio
Chronicles. Each 16 page comic highlights true stories of Ohio history and
many come paired with Teacher’s Editions so educators can include his
comics in their courses.
  Lee didn’t stop there. He has since introduced Sammy Spiffy: Super Robot
and Calculator Chicken, the comic adventures of two friends who solve
mysteries using the power of math. The series is designed for 3rd to 5th
graders with stories available for free on his website. There’s also Cosine
Cadets whose heroes save the galaxy one math problem at a time.
  Lee has used the medium of comics to come up with a unique and
interesting way for students to engage with subjects they may be struggling
with. To read and purchase Lee’s work, visit his website at: ohiocomics.com

  KID’S
  KORNER
  Hey kids! Do you
  like to draw comics?
  You may get your work
  published in the Scribbler!

  Here’s what you do:
  1. Draw your comic 8.5” x 11”
     (the size of a piece of regular
     copy paper on its side).

  2. Scan your comic in at at least
     200 dpi.

  3. Send your comic to
     cbusscribbler@gmail.com

  4. Please include your name,
     age, and e-mail address.

  Please note that all published Kid’s Korner comics
  will be considered donated material.                                        By Stella N. Age 10
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              COMIC REVIEWS                                                                                                                BY DEREK
                                                                                                                                           BAXTER
 AMICULUS: A SECRET HISTORY                                                                          DINOSAUR ARSONIST
 by Travis Horseman & Giancarlo Caracuzzo                                                            by James Moore & Talcott Starr
   Amiculus: A Secret History is the work of writer/                                                    Dinosaur Arsonist is a clever
 creator Travis Horseman and artist Giancarlo                                                        potentially one-off comic (the
 Caracuzzo. After a successful Kickstarter campaign,                                                 backcover promises a return in First
 the book was first published in 2014. Described by                                                  Dinosaur on the Moon) written by
 Horseman as a “lost history of the fall of Rome… from                                               James Moore with art by Talcott
 the point of view of Rome’s last emperor, a twelve                                                  Starr. Through the course of 19
 year old boy named Romulus.” and “[A] mosaic of                                                     pages we learn the history of
 conspiracy within conspiracy. Bloodshed and betrayal.                                               a Coelophysis punished by his
 Tragedy and Loss.”                                                                                  pack for some unspecified crime,
   We are introduced to the world of Rome in this story                                              cursed to keep guard over the land
 through the writings of Procopius of Caesarea, as he                                                should his bones ever be disturbed.
 chronicles recent events over a backdrop of fallen                                                  Awakened by oil drilling in present
 barbarian conquerors. Having just reclaimed the west,                                               day, he quickly absorbs all the
 Procopius seeks to learn the history of what befell the                                             knowledge of the past eon for
 kingdom and the mysterious disappearance of its young                                               which he has laid buried. He then,
 emperor, Romulus, sixty years prior. His quest leads him to a monastery where he finds the          reluctantly at first but eventually with
 Romulus’ writings. It is in these journals that we first learn of the mysterious figure Amiculus.   great passion, begins setting about his duty to lay waste to those that
   Volume I is broken up into three separate parts (“Ex Libris Romuli,” “Roma Aeterna”               disturbed his land the only way he knows how: with a flamethrower.
 and “Senatus Populus Que…”) Little is revealed in this first volume, particularly about the            The book is a quick and fun read, and I really enjoyed the little bits
 hooded titular character and what role he plays in the events of the fall of an empire. A lot of    of history about the central Ohio landscape thrown in throughout.
 attention is paid to building the world and its cast of characters. It is obvious a great deal of   It was informative, but even more so, genuinely funny, which I think
 care went into crafting the narrative, so much so that a map of 5th and 6th century Rome is         was the ultimate goal. I legitimately laughed at a reference to the city
 included in the opening of the book. The creators’ love of history is felt throughout the story     developers apparent love of mixed-use buildings and was actually
 from the character names (which at times felt at once confusing and overwhelming to keep            surprised to learn that the Fireproof Warehouse and Storage houses
 up with, not being well versed in Latin and Roman history myself) to the detailed architecture      luxury apartments. I like Starr’s art style, which pairs well with the
 and costumes.                                                                                       playful nature of Moore’s story. There is a panel towards the end in
   With its tale of epic battles, Empires and kings, it is no wonder it has been favorably           which I am not quite sure what is happening, which normally wouldn’t
 compared to Game of Thrones, and rightfully so. There is enough intrigue, mystery and, yes,         stand out, as it doesn’t detract from the story, but it does interrupt the
 blood shed, to keep the reader riveted. If any of this peaks your interest, there is a free 20      flow in what is otherwise a quick and enjoyable book. In the postface,
 page preview of the series at the creators website, www.amiculusrome.com, though I highly           Starr explains that for anything that doesn’t make sense in the book
 recommend seeking the book out, as having just read the first volume, I plan on picking up          you can just chalk it up to magic, and if you approach the book with
 the second one as soon as possible.                                                                 that attitude, I think you’ll have a genuinely good time (and you may
                                                                                                     learn a thing or two in the process)!
 For the purposes of this review I read Vol. I: Roma Aeterna (Eternal Rome)

                              By Steve Steiner

                                                                              More Everyone Laughs at the Crocodile Man comics available at webtoons.com
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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

 7. How has the city of Columbus progressed as being a
home for comics?

  We’ve always had some great comic shops. I moved to town in ’78 and
frequented the Monkey’s Retreat. There was the Cartoon Research Library
at OSU, now the Billy Ireland, which is a showcase to the world.
   I met a number of local cartoonists back in ’88 through the review
zines which is what brought Oh,Comics! about. In the 90’s, the Mid-
Ohio Con moved to Columbus and was a gathering point for local and
regional cartoonists. Suddenly, in the last 10 years or so, comics have
become more accepted. We have both S.P.A.C.E. and CXC in town and
comic courses being offered at OSU and CCAD. We have cartoonists
appearing from everywhere. A big difference from when I would work on
my comics alone in a vacuum in the early 80’s.                                           This year’s Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo will take place
                                                                                               April 27 & 28 at the Northland Performing Arts Center
 8. This being the 20th show of S.P.A.C.E., do you have any
special memories or favorite moments you’d like to share                           We also put together a program and try to sell ads. The show needs
about the event?                                                                flyers and posters. Luckily, I have people like Tom Williams and Michael
                                                                                Neno who do a great job at that. Another source of income comes from
  I really enjoyed the cartoon carnivals we’ve had where people would           selling S.P.A.C.E. tee shirts which I print in my basement for $10 each.
narrate their comics. I participated in a few myself. I enjoyed having          We’ve had designs from Tom Williams, B.A. Richardson, and myself.
the Columbus premiere of the Cynical Man Movie at S.P.A.C.E. The                Then there’s sign making for the show. We get a lot produced by Millard
S.P.A.C.E. Prize presentations (when I’m on) are usually fun. Generally, I      Draught at Redi-Quik Signs.
just love seeing all the comics and people that show up.                           We still send PR to all the local news outlets and enter info into as
                                                                                many online calendars as possible. Lots of accounting, which usually gets
 9. What kind of planning and effort does it take to put on a                   thrown to the side for that last few weeks before the show. Answering
show of this size?                                                              interview questions like this and doing podcasts. Now I’m panicking
                                                                                because I just laid out everything I still need to do this year!
  It’s actually a lot simpler now then it was originally. The first few years
I went to SPX to recruit exhibitors. Advertising opportunities were in print      10. You’ve spent years bringing the spotlight on to
medium as opposed to social media. I still ship flyers to 300 comic shops,      independent comic creators from across the Midwest and
independent book stores and record shops.                                       beyond. Why is this artform so important to you?
  I need to reserve the venue more than a year out and figure out the
layout. I process over 150 exhibitors and keep the website current with           I have always been in love with this artform. It really is the only place
premiering comics. We have a panel program at each show. We run                 where you can be in complete control. Most other media require more
the S.P.A.C.E. Prize every year which entails reading over 100 books,           than one person to work on it. I was also always awed that somebody sat
organizing the judges, transporting books, counting votes, and getting          down and drew all those drawings to make up a story. It seems like such
plaques made.                                                                   an insane thing to do.
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                                   LOCAL COMIC BOOK STORES
                                   1   SECRET IDENTITY COMICS                    6    LAUGHING OGRE
                                   2   FLYING MONKEY COMICS AND GAMES            7    PACKRAT COMICS
                                   3   COMIC TOWN                                8    HEROES AND GAMES
                                   4   WORLD’S GREATEST COMICS                   9    CAPITAL CITY COMICS
                                   5   KRAZZY COMICS                             10   SKYLARK TOYS AND COMICS

     BAR MOTH   DEREK BAXTER               UPCOMING EVENTS
                                       SMALL PRESS AND ALTERNATIVE COMICS
                                       EXPO (S.P.A.C.E.) 2019
                                       When: Saturday April 27th from 10am to 6pm and
                                        Sunday April 28th from 10am to 5pm
                                       Where: Northland Performing Arts Center, 4411
                                        Tamarack Blvd. Columbus, OH 43229
                                       Admission: Free!

                                       GEM CITY COMIC CON 2019
                                       When: Saturday, April 27th from 10 to 5pm
                                        and Sunday April 28th from 10 to 4pm 28th
                                       Where: Dayton Convention Center, 22 E 5th St. Dayton,
                                        OH 45402

                                       RATHA CON 2019
                                       When: Saturday April 27th
                                       Where: Athens Community Center, 901
                                        E State St, Athens, OH 45701

                                       Free Comic Book Day
                                       When: Saturday May 4th
                                       Where: Local comic shops around Columbus
                                       Admission: Free, of course, though while you’re there you
                                        should patronize your fine local comic shop!

                                       TRI-CON 2019
                                       When: Saturday, June 8th
                                       Where: Big Sandy Superstore Arena, One Civic Center
                                        Plaza, Huntington, WV 25701
                                       Admission: General Admission: $10/
                                        Kids 10 and Under: Free

                                       Cartoon Crossroads
                   STEVE STEINER       Columbus (CXC) 2019
                                       When: Thursday September 26th through Sunday
                                        September 29th
                                       Where: Ohio State University and Downtown Columbus

                                       Wizard World
                                       Comic Con Columbus 2019
                                       When: Friday, Oct 18 - 4:00pm to 9:00pm
                                       Saturday, Oct 19 - 10:00am to 7:00pm
                                       Sunday, Oct 20 - 10:00am to 4:00pm
                                       Where: 500 North High Street Columbus, OH 43215
                                       Admission: Early Bird 3-Day pass is $49.99
                                       Regular 3-Day pass is $79.99
THE MINDS BEHIND
                                                                   THE COLUMBUS
                                                                   SCRIBBLER

                                                                  DEREK BAXTER               (back left)
                                                                  drunkencatcomics.com
                                                                  Derek Baxter draws, works and lives in Columbus, Ohio. He
                                                                  has been part of the Drunken Cat Comics duo since 2001,
                                                                  when he and Brian Canini teamed up to write and draw
                                                                  comics as high schoolers. He does a weekly webcomic on
                                                                  the Drunken Cat Comics website and occasionally writes and
                                                                  draws minicomics, such as The Life and Death of Mr. Burger
                                                                  and Gomibako.

                                                                  BRIAN CANINI               (back right)
                                                                  drunkencatcomics.com
                                                                  Born and raised in Columbus, Brian Canini has been
                                                                  cartooning and creating stories ever since he took hold of
                                                                  his first crayon. Through his efforts in self-publishing, he has
                                                                  created the award-winning autobio graphic novel Fear of
                                                                  Flying, the critically-acclaimed crime comic Ruffians, and is
                                                                  one half of the team duo that produces the award-winning
                                                                  webcomic Drunken Cat.

                                                                  STEVE STEINER               (front left)
                                                                  mulletturtle.com
                                                                  Steve Steiner is the man behind Mullet Turtle Comics – a
                                                                  publisher of weird humor zines and comics. He lives in
                                                                  Groveport, Ohio with his wife Jennifer.

                                                                  JACK WALLACE                (front right)
                                                                  disposablefictioncomics.com
                                                                  Jack Wallace is a writer from Columbus who’s happily
                                                                  married and finds himself inexplicably working in finance.
                                                                  Disposable Fiction Comics started as a group of short stories
                                                                  and metamorphosed, into a book, a webcomic, and, finally,
                                                                  a company creating fiction spanning a variety of genres.

THANK YOU TO OUR KICKSTARTER BACKERS
  T. Perran Mitchell         Ph.D.             Canada Keck           Jason McGee                        Daniel Correll
  The Creative Fund     Meagan Ridgley        Darlene Russell      Rebecca O’ Neil                Steve & Connie Canini
   Gotham the Cat         Bubba Duke            Bob Corby              P.J. Lyons                  Maxine Russell & Kay
    Evette Fisher       Marc Wiskemann     Rebecca Perry Damsen   Ben Wright-Heuman                           Gray
     J.M. Hunter             Travis           Bob Cosgrove          Flaherty Family                          Jason M
Hannah & Erin Wallace   Bradley Walker         James Moore               Susie G                      Brian Batchelder
   J. Kevin Carrier        Tim Fuller         Tamara Murray            Lee Smith                        Jordan Kirian
   Mike Laughead          Nix Comics            Jeff Leedy            Scott Britton                        Amy Canini
 Dr. Rev. Matthias 88    Jeffrey Cannell     Travis Horseman           Sally Falk                      Michael Watson
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